The annual Cowes Small Ships Race, now in it's ninth year, will take place this Saturday 6th October in the Solent. 27 boats are registered to take part and will between them take more than 300 young people on an exciting course around the Solent.

The fleet include one of the oldest sailing vessels still operating in the UK (Leader, 1892), some of the most unusual (Little Brigs Bob and Caroline Allen) and some of the most famous (Gipsy Moth IV and Jolie Brise). There are also ocean racing yachts (Challengers 3 and 4) and successfull round-the-cans racers (Paddiywack). The fleet will not only compete for the coveted Aurora trophy for the overall winner on corrected time, but also for the Richard Langhorn Trophy which is awarded to the crew of the vessel which best represents the 'Spirit of the Race' - this is voted for by all the crews of all the vessels and is a great honour. 

Last year's Aurora trophy went to Duet who beat Jolie Brise by 4 minutes 36 seconds. The race between the 4 Challenge class vessels was even closer, with only 3 minutes and 43 seconds between the first (Challenge Wales) and the last (Challenger 1).

ASTO would like to say a big thank you to our supporters and sponsors in Cowes who make this event possible: the Delphie Lakeman Trust, the Daisie Rich Trust, Cowes Rotary, the Royal London Yacht Club, the Royal Yacht Squadron,  Cowes Town Council, the High Sherriff of the Isle of Wight, the Ellis Campbell Foundation, K1 Britannia, Ocean World, Cowes Rotary, Cowes Yacht Haven, the Southern Co-operative, Ruth Simpson and the Herapath-Shenton Trust. Also a huge thank you to Anthony Churchill, Bob Milner and Rodney Barton without whom this event would not be possible.

T.S. BOB ALLEN—the world's smallest tall ship—will be a featured vessel for the first three days of the PSP Southampton Boat Show.

UK charity the Little Brig Sailing Trust are pleased to announce that their 30 foot brig BOB ALLEN will be at the show for three days—Friday 14th to Sunday 16th September.

BOB ALLEN is one of two identical brigs specially designed and built to take young sailors aged ten years and older for their first trip on a tall ship. Both vessels are normally based in Cowes, are members of ASTO and have taken part in the Small Ships Race every year since 2007.

BOB is 30 foot long, has 100 ropes, 10 sails and takes five new sailors on short trips under the guidance of a Captain and a Deckhand.

BOB will be on berth M 540. Each day—weather permitting—she will be part of a sail past of featured vessels at 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm.

Little Brig Trustee Max Mudie said:

"We love showing off our brigs. The great thing about the Boat Show is we get to do a sail past every afternoon so people will actually get to see a tall ship under sail: that's why our little tall ships are so brilliant"

While the world's spotlight is about to fall on the inspirational athletes of the Paralympics, a group of disabled German youngsters are stretching their own boundaries by crewing the tall ship Tenacious from Emden to London as part of a special programme to inspire accessible sailing in Germany.

Tenacious, operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, is one of only two tall ships in the world designed to take people of all physical abilities to sea on equal terms. 

Full story here

Baroness Masham has joined the board of Trustess of the Ocean Youth Trust North, to help highlight the positive outcomes Sail Training has on young people. Full story here.